


I Owe You

by songofgallifrey



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-25
Updated: 2014-05-25
Packaged: 2018-01-26 11:17:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1686407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songofgallifrey/pseuds/songofgallifrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Theta and River meet in the most unexpected ways and River can't help but think how arrogant Theta really is, especially with that insufferable bow-tie he owns. River/Doctor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Owe You

Theta heard a howl and quickly slams his foot harshly down on the breaks. Slowly, his eyes slid to the side mirror and cringes when he sees a woman with on the ground beside his car, clearly in pain.

As soon as the car door is opened, Theta was assaulted by the sound of "You nitwit!" and resists the urge to climb back in the car.

"Didn't see you crossing over, terribly sorry." Theta said and he took his time to study on the woman who was grasping her right foot in pain. She was tall, he noticed. With the curliest blonde hair that he had ever seen.

"Are you blind?" She shouted, fuming. "You could've have killed me!"

"But I didn't," Theta gave a slight grin. "Dodged a bullet there, didn't I?"

The woman glares at him and he immediately shuts up. "I'm hurt you dolt. The least you can do is take me to the nearest hospital."

Theta frowns. "I was on my way to..." The woman's glare hardens even more and Theta knows that the woman's injury is the only thing that is keeping her from strangling or murdering him.

"Hospital. Right..." He helps the woman into the passenger seat, keeping his fingers crossed that the woman wound wasn't bleeding and ruining his leather seats.

"River Song," She says coldly when Theta pulled away from the curb.

"Who's that?"

"Me." River replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh. I'm Theta. Theta Lungbarrow." Theta replied, throwing a quick glance in River's direction. River was actually quite nice to stare at; when she wasn't looking as though she was about to kill you of course.

"Well Theta Lungbarrow, I would suggest you keep your eyes firmly on the road, we wouldn't want to run over any more unsuspecting humans would we?"

Theta found that his next task was supporting a limping River, all the way from the car park to the A&E waiting room. He couldn't help but be impressed by River long selection of swear words, a new one with each step she took.

He watches as a chair is wheeled out for River to sit in and watches as it was pushed through a double set of doors and he waits in the waiting room. Theta hates waiting. He was always known for his impatience, but something made him wait and he dropped into an uncomfortable plastic chair and picked up a two year old copy of a car magazine.

He was deeply engrossed in an article about how to get cheaper petrol that he almost didn't hear River speak. "What are you still doing here?"

Theta looks up and takes in River who was propped up on crutches, her right foot strapped up tightly. "You still need a lift home right?" He asked.

"I was just going to call my best mate Clara."

"Well I'm here already to go, I think of it as my apology to you,"

River raises an eyebrow. "Seeing as I haven't heard the word I'm sorry coming from your big lips, I guess I'll have to."

Anyone else would probably have seen River's comment as the cut to apologise. However, Theta was not like anybody else and he decided to instead get up and make his way towards the car park with River by his side.

River grits her teeth and bit back another remark and reluctantly follows after him, her new crutches clunking with each jerky step. Theta already had his car purring away when River finally reached the blue Jaguar, the passenger door already opened for her.

"Where's home?" Theta asked, before even River managed to sit down.

"Second star to the right and straight on till morning," River quips, dropping herself down into the seat and throwing her crutches onto the back seat, very narrowly missing Theta's head. Theta sent her a look of confusion and Ruthie rolled her eyes. "About five minutes from where you ran me over."

"Are you ever going to let me forgot about that?"

"Well, seeing as I plan on never seeing you again after today, I think your chances are good," She snapped.

"You do know I feel very bad about all this? I drove you to the hospital, sat next to a six year old who on one side I'm pretty sure sneezed and wiped his snot onto my brand new jacket and bow tie and a woman on my other side who spent four hours straight, sitting there looking at me as though I was her next meal and now I'm driving you home in which I didn't have to do. The least you can do is try and be civil with me."

River was very much taken aback by Theta's comment. Technically, Theta was right for she had been surprised to find Theta had waited for her an unexpected kind gesture from him; on the other hand, she found Theta completely insufferable. Handsome but insufferable. "You didn't have to wait," She finally agrees. "Thank you."

"I am sorry." Theta pointedly told her and River believes him.

After detailed directions, Theta pulls up onto the pavement, as close as he could get to the entrance of River's house. "You okay from here?"

"I could do with a hand up to the front door." River admitted.

"I suppose I can do that," With that, Theta limbs out of the car and helps Ruthie out of her seat. "Just lean on me, I played rugby and football for Oxford once upon a time. Believe it or not with my figure."

River bits back another snarky comment that rushed through her mind against Marcus. "What about my crutches?"

"I'll bring them up afterwards."

It took nearly ten long minutes and one flight of stairs later for River to reach the second landing of her house. Her leg was good as aching from all the weight she put on it and Theta hand around her waist literally sent her heart sky rocketing.

"Maybe I should carry you to your bedroom."

"Don't you even think about it." She sent him a death glare.

"C'mon, you're like a twig! I think I can manage," Theta scoffed and before River could even protest, she was being swept of her feet like a dismal in distress.

"I feel ridiculous," River groans in embarrassment, which evolves into a groan of agony when Theta carries her through the doorway and River's strapped foot bashes against the door knob of her bedroom. "Argh! Theta! Do you have something against me?"

"Oh shut up, it was an accident and you know it."

River narrowed her eyes at him and before she could anything else, as he put her on the bed gently.

"My keys are in my pocket," River said suddenly. "If you remove-" River's eyebrows disappeared into her hair when Marcus slides a hand into her front pocket."Theta, what the hell are you doing?"

"Getting your keys." He replies, pulling his hand out when he finds nothing and pushes his hand deep into another pocket.

River slaps Theta's hand away. "I still have the use of both of my hands you idiot." She reaches into her back pocket and yanks out the keys and puts them on the bedside table next to her bed.

"I'll go and get the crutches." He disappeared when River asked something.

"Hey, press the play on the answering machine for me sweetie?" She yells, and Theta burst back through the door, crutches under his arm. His eyes following to where River was pointing and he reaches over on to the other side of the desk where the machine sat, red lights blinking from it.

"River, it's your mother. Just called to remind you to bring your shirt with you tomorrow, I think I've found the right colour thread to fix the hole. Call before you set off? Love you,"

River swore. There's no way in hell she'll be able to drive over to her mum's house with a broken foot. She wasn't supposed to be even moving her foot at all. She would ask Clara but River knows Clara's out on a date tomorrow and certainly wouldn't be able to miss a date on such short notice. How is River supposed to tell her she won't be able to make it for her mother's birthday?

"So," Theta said, clapping his hands and interrupting River thoughts. "Crutches are right there beside you, phone and T.V remote in reach, anything else you need?"

River stares at him, a wicked idea slowly forming in her mind along with a devious grin.

Theta looked at her rather suspiciously. "What?"

"You got plans for tomorrow?"

Theta glares at River as she climbs into the passenger seat. "You do know I had plans today." He tells her but in reality, he didn't have any plans. Just the same old plan to meet his brother who would yap on about his Museum which Theta found boring anyway.

River's crutches once again get thrown in the back and she lifts her satchel over her head and drops it on the floor beside her feet. "You owe me remember? I could sue you for millions," Theta raises an eyebrow. "...Thousands then."

Theta gave a dramatic sigh. "And how long exactly will I owe you?"

"You drive me to my mum's, you play nice and you drive me home again, then we're even."

"Promise?"

"Want a pinky promise sweetie?" River retorts. "Just drive."

Theta rolled his eyes. "Maybe I should have arrived in a pink limo with a full chauffeur's outfit and all."

River didn't exactly know how to respond and chose to sit in silence, staring out of the window.

After an awkward fifteen minutes of silence, Theta couldn't take it anymore. "Do you want to play a game?" He wildly suggests.

"A game?" Ruthie repeated, not quite believing her ears.

"Yes, a game. A contest with rules to determine a winner, you have heard of a game right?" River's chosen to ignore Theta's sarcasm.

"What kind of game?" She asks.

Theta shrugged. "I-spy?" River looked highly unamused. "Twenty questions?" He stole a quick glance at her before returning his gaze onto the road. "Don't know any others," He said lamely.

"What do you do?" River suddenly quizzed.

"Huh?" Theta was rather surprised by the sudden question which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Just curious, you drive a jaguar, it's got to be a good job."

"Well I...I don't really do anything," He admitted. "I inherited this from my father when he passed away few years back."

"Explains why you're driving like a maniac on a Monday afternoon," River grins. "You should do something."

"Why?" He couldn't help but ask.

"I write and I'm an Archaeologist. So it's Professor River Song to you." River told him, giving him a sly smile."Nothing's published yet, but that doesn't stop me. Even if I die without publishing a single book, I will still have created something; there will be at least something left of me when I'm gone."

"That's why you write?"

"I write because I love writing and I do Archaeology because I love old things. Old things have a history to them that wants to be uncovered in layers." She answers with a shrug. "Don't you have anything you love to do?"

Theta mouth opens and closes, but somehow no words managed to come out. He loves visiting historical locations, spending inordinate amounts on collectors items and partying to excess, but none of those things seemed the kind of things you'd do to leave a legacy of some kind.

"I don't know," He finally manages to say. He doesn't create anything with his money, he just uses it, wastes it. "So what do you write?"

"Fantasy, dragons, knights who are liars and ladies who are knights. What kind of things do you read?"

"The news on my iphone," Theta quips cheerfully. "Definitely keeps me to the edge of my seat."

River snorted, amused. "That really doesn't surprise me somehow. Take the next right."

Theta does as he's told, flicking on the indicator and turned into a road on the right."How much further?" He asked.

"About five-eight minutes."

Theta nods and sensing more uncomfortable silence, he quickly searches for something to say. "So...you write."

River raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought we've established that."

"Is that all you do? I mean, what else do you like to do? Like what hobbies do you do in your spare time when you're not writing or doing Archaeology."

"Well, I could spend hours upon hours in any kind of book shops," She said, slightly confused by Theta sudden babbling. "And I'm taking an evening course in Spanish,"

"Fascinating." River wasn't sure Theta was being sarcastic until she looks over at him and sees the genuine interest on his face. "I'm not very good at it yet, only been to four classes and I can just about say hello and one to ten."

"Left or right?"

"Huh? Oh, left, then right again." River sits up a little straighter. "House number Seven," The pair of them fell silent again for the short two minute journey to the house. Theta pulls into the drive way and looks up at a small traditional cottage, rose bushes lining in the garden path.

"Nice, you grew up here?"

"It's probably not the mansion I'm sure you're used to."

'"I think I would have preferred this," Theta admitted and River could of sworn she heard him sighing wistfully. "My house was all dark with furniture that looked like it had been attacked by a bear and you couldn't really sit on them. My brother and I always used to complain about them."

River chuckles weakly. "Come on," She reaches in the back for her crutches and turns to find his door open and Marcus waiting for her. "Thanks."" River says softly as Theta helped her up on steady feet. His breath was warm against her cheek and she couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine. Before she can start sending mental hate towards herself for letting Theta affect her, she heard her mother calling.

"River!" She lifts her eyes and sees her mother Amy was flying down towards the garden path. River was certainly surprised that her mother managed not to fall over. "What happened?" Her mother's worry was unmistakeable.

River glances at Theta, surprised to see his guilt in his eyes. "Just an accident," She quickly replies. "Tripped and fell, nothing serious," She hugs her mother tightly. "Happy Birthday mum,"

"Thank you sweetie." Amy pulls away and turns to look at Theta. "And who is this darling gentleman?"

"This is Theta, he's uh, a friend." River explained, not in the mood to explain the full story to her mother.

"A friend huh?" Amy gave a wicked grin and River briefly wondered if she should be worried. "Nice to meet you Theta."

"You too Mrs Song. River has said nothing but nice things about you." Truth to be told, River hasn't said anything about her mother.

"It's all lies," Amy blushes. "Now come on inside both of you, can't have you standing around on crutches all day can we?"

River was lead into the house with Theta on her right and her mother on her left, both keeping pace with her. Once inside, she drops down into an armchair and lets out a long sigh of relief. "It's good to be home," She smiled happily.

"Tea? Coffee?" Amy offers, while simultaneously throwing a blanket over River and before she could protest, she started plumping up her cushions.

"Would kill for a cup of coffee," River admitted.

"And you Theta?"

"I'll make the tea Mrs Song, it is your birthday after all," He smiles politely. Really, he was trying to get on River's good side.

"Oh Theta," Amy literally melts. "Please call me Amy."

River wonders if this was the same man she met yesterday. The very same Theta she knew was rude and inconsiderate.

"Sit," Theta ordered. "I'm sure I can find everything."

While he was out of earshot, Amy grins at her daughter. "That one's a keeper,"

"What? No, I told you, just friends." River quickly denied.

"Yeah yeah, and I'm the Queen's Mother."

"Well, that makes me Queen then doesn't it?" River ticks out her tongue childishly and laughs when her mother mirrors her.

"I'm serious though River," Amy says once the laugher calmed down. "You two seem great together."

"Mum, you've known him for five minutes, wait until you've known him a little longer before passing judgements on my love life."

"Well I do sincerely hope I do get to know him a little better. You must bring him home for christmas." At this, River groans in defeat and is only saved from more of the conversation by Theta returning with a tray of three mugs of Coffee.

"Wasn't sure how everyone liked their Coffee," He explains as he handed them out. "So I took a guess."

Before taking a sip of her drink, a thought occurs to Riverand she resists an urge to swear. "Your present! I left it in Theta's car."

"I'll fetch it." Theta offered, putting his own mug down on the table.

"Aren't you a dear," Amy smiles, eyeing him as Theta walked out.

"Stop it," River warned. "I know you're inventing names of our future children," She hissed.

"I don't know what you're on about," Amy replied innocently, though River knew her too well to believe that. Her voice says nothing; her eyes were saying Martha and Jack.

Theta appears with River's satchel gripped in his hand. He hands it over to River for her to dig out the present.

"Still poorly wrapped I noticed," Amy laughed and unwraps the present which was a family photo. "Thank you River, I have to hang that up later." River doesn't miss the look of amusement on Theta's face.

They ate their dinner, River rushes her dinner and finishes it with a swag of lemonade while Theta finishes it more politely and doesn't forget to thank Amy for a wonderful meal. They spent the afternoon playing cards and River lost every round of rummy and she swears that Theta let her mother win. Suddenly, it was time to leave.

"Thank you for having me Amy. it's been fantastic." Theta told her.

Amy hugs Theta tightly, his dark brown hair becoming a mess. "You're welcome back any time."

At this, River calls out. "Okay, break it up you two sweeties," She gave one last hug to her mother. "I'll call when I'm home." She promises.

"You forgot that shirt didn't you?" Amy asked once they pulled apart. River blinked.

"I'll post it."

Theta chuckled. "Okay, let's get going,"

River's eyes widen when she feels Theta's hand at the small of her back, not pushing her forwards, but just supporting. Amy stood in the doorway and watches until they're both settled inside the car, waving manically at them until they were out of sight.

River turned to face Marcus."Okay, who are you and what have you done with Marcus Blanche?"

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about, the Theta I know and met, drives over innocent people and generally acts like a jerk."

"Hey, I can be nice!" Marcus literally pouts. "I meant what I said to your mother. I had a great day."

"But...But..." River splutters, not quite believing her ears.

"And I like you." Theta admitted, it almost sounded like a confession.

River froze, her heart fluttering. "What?"

"You're different. You tell me of for my behaviour, most people will just encourage me."

"You...like me?" River breathed, her voice stuck in her throat. "As in...?"

"As in, maybe when your foot is better, we could go out on a date." He gave her a quick look, looking quite serious.

"Okay," River could only manage to say. She had to admit, while Theta was insufferable, the Theta she has come to know has been the perfect gentleman. She couldn't help but see the handsome, polite, caring man Theta has become right in front of her eyes and she couldn't deny the rush she feels every time he touches her.

Theta let out a sigh of relief. "Okay," He repeats. "Good. Fantastic." The rest of the journey is taken in silence, but this time it was far from uncomfortable.

Outside River's flat, Theta once more helps Theta out of her seat and hands her crutches. "You need help getting to your flat?" He asked, putting his hands into his pockets.

River shook her head, her ginger hair blowing in her face. "I'll be okay thanks,"

"Sure?"

She nodded. "What's your phone number?"

He pulled out his iphone out of his pocket and handed it over to her. He watches her with a widening grin as River inputs her own number into the phonebook before handing the phone back. "Thank you for today."

"No problem. I rather enjoyed myself."

"I don't think we're even though,"

"No?" Theta frowns, looking quite confused. His brown eyes showing confusion and he fiddled with his bow-tie nervously.

River shakes her head. She lets go of one crutch and reaches out for Theta, grabbing a handful of his jacket to yank him forwards. Their lips collided and Theta's lips soon melted against hers, her eyes were sliding shut and the kiss ended with River wanting more as she unconsciously looks at his lips when she took a step back. "Now we're even." River says, her voice merely a whisper.

Theta was unable to wipe a goofy smile of his face. Not able to believe his luck. "Good night River."

"Call me!" River shouted as she watched River climb back into his car, ruffling his floppy hair.

Theta called the next day.


End file.
